Musical instrument.



Patented Dec. ll, I900. F. ISBELL.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Application filed June 7, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Shem i,

(No Model.)

INVENTOR A TTOR/VE Yf n45 Norms PEYEHS do. Pumaumu. wnsmumon, n cyPatented Dec. ll, I900. F. ISBELL.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

(Abplication filed June 7, 1899.)

2 Sheet.a-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK ISBELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPEGIFIGATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,440, dated December11, 1900.

- Application filed June 7, 1899. Serial No. 719,663. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK ISBELL, a citizen of Italy, residing at NewYork, in the county of New York and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Musical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a full and complete specification, such as will enablethose skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to musical instruments, and has more particularreference to instruments of this class having body portions built up ofseveral separate sections and the surfaces of the various parts of whichare usually provided with decorative designs and configurations.

The object of this invention is to construct a mandolin of decorativeand structurally elaborate appearance and at the same time comparativelyinexpensive.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, ofwhich the accompanying drawings form a part, in which like characters ofreference denote like parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1is a faceor plan view of a mandolin constructed according to myinvention; Fig. 2, a side viewthereof, partly in section; Fig. 3, atransverse section of the body or bowl of the mandolin shown in Figs. 1and 2; Fig. 4, a similar View of a modification thereof; Fig; 5, aface'view of a portion of a bodystrip shown in Fig. 3 and upon anenlarged scale; Fig. 6, a similar view of a modification thereof; Fig.7, a transverse section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5; Fig. 8, a transversesec tion on the line 8 8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9, a face view of one of thebody-strips shown in Fig. 4:, and Fig. 10 a transverse section thereofon the line 10 10.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 11 is the body orbowl of amandolin and is connected in the usual manner with the neck 12, which isprovided at its outer end with the usual key-head 13. The bowl or bodyportion 11 is, as is usual in this class of instruments, of bulbous orsemibulbous form, having a plane face 1 1, with the edges of which areconnected a plurality of longitudinally -curved bodystrips 15, which lielongitudinally of the body-face 14, and the sides of each of whichstrips converge toward each end substantially to a point and the ends ofwhich adjacent the junction of the neck 12 and body-face 14 are gatheredtogether and connected with said neck. The other ends are connected witha jacket or band 16, which is secured to and extends entirely about theedge portion of the body-face 14: and to the inner side of which theouter sides of the edge body-strips 15 are connected. The body-face 1 1is provided with the usual soundopening 17 and the neck with the usualfretstrip 18, which extends longitudinally thereof and one end of whichrests upon the surface of the body-face 14:, extending to thesound-opening 17. The fret-strip 18 is provided with the usual frets 19,and the construction of the mandolin as thus described is as usual inthe practice of constructing instruments of this class.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 3, 5, and 7, I provide the outersurface of each of the strips 15, excepting the edge strips, which shallbe denoted as 15 and are to a certain extent covered by the jacket 16,with longitudinally-arranged threads 20, of cotton, silk, or othertextile or suitable substance, and these threads converge at their endssimilarly to the sides of the strips 15 and are preferably connectedwith said strips by means of a coating of shellac, varnish, or otherembellishing, decorating, or adhesive material applied thereto and tothe strips 15. I also similarly arrange a similar thread 20 along theline of junction of each of the strips 15 and 15, it being understoodthat the strips 15 and 15 are glued or otherwise joined at their meetingedges. The result of thus arranging the threads 20 as described is todivide up the outer surface of the mandolin bowl or body into aplurality of sections 21, such sections being formed by each adjacentpair of threads 20, and the effect of the consequent subdivision of thesurface of each of the strips 15 is to apparently change theconstruction of the bowl or body 11, multiplying the number of stripsforming the latter in proportion to the number of surface spacesexistent between the threads 20, and thus adding to the finished orornamental appearance of said bowl or body 11.

In Figs. 6 and 8 I have shown a modification of the construction shownin Figs. 3, 5,

IOO

and 7, consisting of the substitution for the threads 20 of strips ofpaper 22, preferably square in cross-section.

In Figs. 4, 9, and 10 a still further modification is shown, in whicheach of the strips 15 is provided with a plurality of longitudinalexterior surface grooves 23, preferably laterally curved and formingintermediate longitudinal beads 24:, and the grooves 23 taper in widthat the end portions of the strips 15. Upon each of the beads 24 ismounted a longitudinally-extending strand of wire 25, and a similarstrand of wire 25 is mounted upon each line of junction of the meetingedges of the adjacent strips 15 and 15. The wire strands 25 also enhancethe resonant quality of the bowl or body of the mandolin. The wirestrands 25 are secured in place upon the strips 15 and 15 by a coatingof shellac, varnish, or other embellishing, decorative, or adhesivematerial applied thereto and to the strips 15 and 15, and the beads 24are preferably longitudinally notched to receive the wire strands 25.The result of thus grooving, beading,and providing with strands of wirethe outer surfaces and meeting edges of the strips 15 and 15 is similarto that produced by the construction above described, the surface of thebody or bowl being apparently divided into a number of constructionalstrips equal to the number of grooves 23.

About the key-head 13 and under the surface of the neck 12 of themandolin above described I wrap a sheet or sheets of decorative paper26, carefully conforming it thereto, and over the paper I place acoating of shellac, varnish, or other embellishing substance, and thepaper wrapping 26 is preferably provided with a plurality ofapproximately longitudinal surface lines 27. I similarly provide thesurface of the body-jacket 16 with decorative and shellacked orvarnished paper 28, and upon the body-face 14 I secure an ornament-alstrip of paper 29 of any desired form and bearing any desired symbol ordecorative imprint and shellac or varnish the surface thereof.

Between the frets 19 of the fret-strip 18, according to any desiredarrangement, I secure transverse strips of paper 30, ornamented asdesired and provided with a shellac, varnish, or similar coating.

Any desired form and arrangement of strings and keys may be mounted inconnection with the construction described, and it is evident that manychanges may be made in the construction and arrangement of the variousparts of the mandolin described; also, that the various features may beapplied to othermusicalinstruments,andIclaim allsuch modifications,rearrangements, and adaptations as come within the scope of myinvention.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a mandolinbowl 01' body consisting of a plurality of edge-to-edge-arranged strips,each of which is provided with a plurality of longitudinally-arrangedbeads, whereby intermediate curved grooves are formed, the adjacentedges of said strips being raised to form beads at the meeting-lines ofsaid strips, the crown of each of said beads being provided with alongitudinally-arranged notch, and a strand of wire secured to each ofsaid beads and within the notch and in the crown thereof, whereby theportions of said strips intermediate of said beads are caused tosimulate the effect of unitary constructions, said strands of wirecausing in their intimate association with said strips an enhancedresonance of said bowl or body, substantially as shown and described.

2. As an improved article of manufacture, a mandolin bowl or bodyconsisting of a plurality of edge-to-edge-arranged strips, each of whichis provided with a plurality of longitudinally-arranged beads, wherebyintermediate curved grooves are formed the adjacent edges of said stripsbeing raised to form beads at the meeting-lines of said strips, thecrown of each of said beads being provided with alongitudinally-arranged notch, and a strand of suitable substancesecured to each of said beads and within the notch of the crown thereof,whereby the portions of said strips intermediate of said beads arecaused to simulate the effect of unitary constructions, substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed myname, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 5th day of June,1899.

FRANK ISBELL.

Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, V. M. VOSLER.

